Sweeteners/Artificial high-intensity

Saccharin

Also known as: Sweet'N Low

ModerateArtificial high-intensityE954

The original artificial sweetener (1879). Once carried a cancer warning, since lifted.

45
SweetSpot score
Sweetness vs sugar
350×
Glycemic index
0
no glucose response
Calories
0 kcal/g
Verdict
Moderate

At a glance

5 of 10 metrics graded

How Saccharin compares to table sugar on the three numbers most people actually want.

Sweetness vs sugar
350×
vs sugar 1×
Used in trace amounts
Glycemic index
0
vs sugar 65
No glucose response
Calories per gram
0 kcal
vs sugar 4 kcal
No calories
SweetSpot score
45/100
AvoidPoorModerateGoodExcellent

Ten-metric breakdown

See methodology →
  • Taste quality
    Weight 20%
    70
  • Glycemic impact
    Weight 18%
    Pending
  • Naturalness
    Weight 10%
    15
  • Tooth friendliness
    Weight 8%
    85
  • Overall safety
    Weight 14%
    Pending
  • Digestive comfort
    Weight 8%
    70
  • Gut microbiome
    Weight 8%
    Pending
  • Aftertaste
    Weight 6%
    Pending
  • Sustainability
    Weight 4%
    Pending
  • Allergen safety
    Weight 4%
    80

Source: public.sweeteners snapshot, refreshed 2026-04-27. "Pending" cells are catalogued but not yet graded by SweetSpot research.

What it actually is

Saccharin is the oldest artificial sweetener, discovered in 1879 at Johns Hopkins. It is 200–700× sweeter than sucrose, zero-calorie, and not metabolised — absorbed and excreted unchanged.

It carried a US cancer warning from 1977 to 2000 after rat studies showed bladder tumours at extreme doses. Subsequent work demonstrated the mechanism is rat-specific (urinary protein chemistry that humans do not share), and the warning was rescinded.

The honest issues are taste — a metallic / bitter tail at higher concentrations — and an emerging microbiome literature similar to sucralose's. Some 2014–2022 studies link saccharin to glucose intolerance via microbiome shifts in animals and a subset of humans.

What it does well
  • Cheap, heat-stable, very high sweetness
  • Cancer concern formally retracted
  • Long history of regulatory scrutiny
Where it falls short
  • Metallic / bitter aftertaste
  • Emerging microbiome and glucose-intolerance signal
  • Often blended with cyclamate (banned in US since 1969)

Regulatory status

FDA (United States)
Approved; cancer warning rescinded (2000)
EFSA (Europe)
Authorised E954
Acceptable daily intake
FDA: 15 mg/kg/day; EFSA: 5 mg/kg/day

In practice

Best for
  • Heat-stable cooking, diabetic recipes
Avoid if
  • Microbiome concerns
  • Strong taste sensitivity
Where you'll find it

Sweet'N Low, TaB, some toothpastes

The evidence

Selected peer-reviewed sources behind the score. Open access where possible. Read our scoring methodology for how we weight evidence tiers.

Recommended swaps

Higher-scoring alternatives that perform similarly in use.

Monk Fruit
86

Mogrosides from Siraitia grosvenorii. 150–250× sweeter, no glycemic effect, cleaner aftertaste than stevia.

Stevia
78

Steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana. 200–400× sweeter than sugar, zero glycemic.